Aripsy Research · 2026 edition
How many students get 3 A*s at A level?
Data: Ofqual's provisional A-level results for 18-year-olds in England, 2023 to 2026, and JCQ's UK share of grades at A*.Next update: By Amin Mudassir, Founder of AripsyShort answerIn 2026, 4,195 students aged 18 in England got A*A*A*, 2.2% of the 193,275 who took three A levels (Ofqual). Counting students who took any number of A levels, 7,245 got an A* in every A level they took. Of those taking four, 12.7% got four A*s.
Key findings
How many students get 3 A*s?
4,195 students aged 18 in England got three A*s in 2026, 2.2% of the 193,275 who took exactly three A levels.
That is about 1 in 46. The number rose from 3,700 in 2023, while the number taking three A levels grew from 186,380 to 193,275. Ofqual's 2024 infographic, which counted all ages, gives 2,785 students with three A*s in 2019, before exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
The 4,195 leaves out three A*s among four or more A levels (such as A*A*A*A), which Ofqual's tables do not give. Adding the straight-A* counts for three, four and five or more A levels (4,195 + 1,900 + 25) gives at least 6,100 students aged 18 with three or more A*s, at least 2.9% of the 208,420 who took three or more.
These figures count students, not grades. 9.6% of UK A-level grades were A* in 2026, up from 9.4% in 2025 (JCQ, all ages), but a student counts here only with an A* in every subject.
Source: Ofqual, Data tables for Qualification results in England: summer 2026, Table 6Source: JCQ, JCQ summer results Level 3 press notice, A levels and ASSource: Ofqual, Infographics for A level results, 2024 (accessible), A level students in England who took 3 A levels and achieved 3 A* grades, all ages
2023
3,700
2024
4,005
2025
3,890
2026
4,195
Show chart data as a table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 3,700 |
| 2024 | 4,005 |
| 2025 | 3,890 |
| 2026 | 4,195 |
18-year-olds taking three A levels who got A* in all three, England
| Year | Took three A levels | Got three A*s | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 186,380 | 3,700 | 2.0% |
| 2024 | 188,875 | 4,005 | 2.1% |
| 2025 | 186,945 | 3,890 | 2.1% |
| 2026 | 193,275 | 4,195 | 2.2% |
How many students get all A*s (straight A*s)?
7,245 students aged 18 got an A* in every A level they took in 2026, about 2.5% of the 288,950 with A-level results, and 25 of them took five or more.
Straight A*s are most common among the few students taking four A levels (12.7%) or five or more (15.8%), and rarest among those taking two (0.9%).
From 2023 to 2026 the share rose from 2.0% to 2.2% for three A levels, 12.0% to 12.7% for four and 1.6% to 2.3% for one.
18-year-olds getting an A* in every A level taken, by number of A levels, England, 2026
| A levels taken | 18-year-olds | All A* | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29,980 | 675 | 2.3% |
| 2 | 50,550 | 450 | 0.9% |
| 3 | 193,275 | 4,195 | 2.2% |
| 4 | 14,975 | 1,900 | 12.7% |
| 5 or more | 170 | 25 | 15.8% |
18-year-olds getting an A* in every A level taken, count (share of those taking that number), England
| Year | One A level | Two | Three | Four | Five or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 465 (1.6%) | 405 (0.8%) | 3,700 (2.0%) | 1,555 (12.0%) | 45 (20.8%) |
| 2024 | 580 (2.0%) | 390 (0.8%) | 4,005 (2.1%) | 1,805 (12.2%) | 30 (17.4%) |
| 2025 | 685 (2.3%) | 370 (0.7%) | 3,890 (2.1%) | 1,865 (12.8%) | 35 (17.1%) |
| 2026 | 675 (2.3%) | 450 (0.9%) | 4,195 (2.2%) | 1,900 (12.7%) | 25 (15.8%) |
How many A levels do students take?
Most take three. Of the 288,950 18-year-olds with A-level results in 2026, 66.9% took three, 17.5% two, 10.4% one and 5.2% four. Ofqual's figures do not show why those taking four get straight A*s far more often (12.7% against 2.2%).
18-year-olds by number of A levels taken, England, 2026
| A levels taken | 18-year-olds | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29,980 | 10.4% |
| 2 | 50,550 | 17.5% |
| 3 | 193,275 | 66.9% |
| 4 | 14,975 | 5.2% |
| 5 or more | 170 | under 0.1% |
Do boys or girls get more 3 A*s?
More girls than boys got three A*s in 2026 (2,190 against 2,005), but boys taking three A levels were slightly more likely to get them (2.3% against 2.1%).
Boys taking four A levels were more likely to get four A*s (13.7% against 10.9% of girls), while girls taking one were more likely to get an A* (2.7% against 1.7%).
18-year-olds getting an A* in every A level taken, by sex, England, 2026
| A levels taken | Girls | Share of girls | Boys | Share of boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 450 | 2.7% | 225 | 1.7% |
| 2 | 250 | 0.9% | 200 | 0.9% |
| 3 | 2,190 | 2.1% | 2,005 | 2.3% |
| 4 | 615 | 10.9% | 1,285 | 13.7% |
| 5 or more | 10 | 14.0% | 20 | 17.0% |
Common misreadings
"2.2% of A-level students get three A*s"
The 2.2% is of 18-year-olds who took exactly three A levels. It leaves out A*A*A*A and is not the 9.6% of grades that were A*."4,135 students got three A*s in 2024"
That figure is from Ofqual's 2024 infographic, which counted students of all ages. This page uses Ofqual's 2026 release, which counts 18-year-olds and gives 4,005 for 2024. On the all-ages count, 2,785 got three A*s in 2019 and 12,945 in 2021, when there were no summer exams.England only
Ofqual's figures cover England only, not Wales or Northern Ireland. How we checked these figures
Methodology and sources
- All figures are Ofqual's unless marked JCQ. They come from Qualification results in England: summer 2026 (first published on A-level results day, 13 August 2026), its data tables (Tables 5 to 7, version of 20 August 2026) and its results-day blog. They cover 18-year-olds in England, by age on 31 August. The share of A-level grades at A* is JCQ's UK figure for all ages. The all-ages counts (2019, 2021 and 2024) are from Ofqual's 2024 A-level infographic.
- "Straight A*s" means an A* in every A level the student took.
- Results-day figures are provisional. Grades can change after reviews of marking, so final numbers may differ slightly.
- Ofqual counts students by unique identifier and rounds counts to the nearest 5, so rows may not add up exactly. Aripsy calculated the "1 in 46" (193,275 ÷ 4,195 = 46.1), the 2.5% overall share (7,245 ÷ 288,950), the 208,420 who took three or more A levels (193,275 + 14,975 + 170) and the minimum of 6,100 with three or more A*s (4,195 + 1,900 + 25 = 6,120, each count up to 2 off after rounding), at least 2.9% of 208,420. Every other value is as published.
Official statistics
- Source 1 · Research and analysis
Ofqual
Qualification results in England: summer 2026- Published:
- 13 August 2026
- Data covers:
- Summer 2023 to 2026 results days, England
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source 2 · Research and analysis (data tables)
Ofqual
Data tables for Qualification results in England: summer 2026- Published:
- 20 August 2026
- Data covers:
- Summer 2023 to 2026 results days, England
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source 3 · Ofqual blog
Ofqual
A level and level 3 results 2026 at a glance: key trends and context for teachers- Published:
- 13 August 2026
- Data covers:
- Summer 2026 A-level results, England
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source 4 · Exam board results statistics
JCQ
JCQ summer results Level 3 press notice- Published:
- 13 August 2026
- Data covers:
- Summer 2025 and 2026 A-level results, UK, all ages, provisional
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Figures quoted with attribution. The publisher's tables and charts are not reproduced.
- Source 5 · Infographic
Ofqual
Infographics for A level results, 2024 (accessible)- Published:
- 15 August 2024
- Data covers:
- Summer 2019 to 2024 A-level results, England, all ages
- Last checked by Aripsy:
- 2 November 2026
- Reuse:
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
How to cite this page
Please cite the original publisher for each figure, linked beside it. To cite this page's summary and tables:
Aripsy (2026). How Many People Get 3 A*s at A Level? 2026 Statistics. Retrieved from https://aripsy.com/en/research/how-many-people-get-3-a-starsLink to a single figure with its anchor, for example https://aripsy.com/en/research/how-many-people-get-3-a-stars#three-a-stars-2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it and note the change below.
Change log
- First published with Ofqual's summer 2026 results data.
Frequently asked questions
How many people get 3 A*s at A level?
In 2026, 4,195 students aged 18 in England got A*A*A*, 2.2% of the 193,275 who took three A levels (Ofqual).
What percentage of A-level students get all A*s?
About 2.5%. 7,245 of the 288,950 students aged 18 with A-level results in 2026 got an A* in every A level they took. It depends on how many they took, from 2.2% of those taking three to 12.7% of those taking four.
How many people get 4 A*s at A level?
1,900 students aged 18 got four A*s in 2026, 12.7% of the 14,975 who took four A levels (Ofqual).
How many people get at least three A*s?
At least 6,100 students aged 18 in England in 2026. That is the 4,195 with A*A*A*, plus those with an A* in all of four (1,900) or five or more (25) A levels. Ofqual's tables leave out three A*s among four or more A levels, such as A*A*A*A, so the true number is higher.
What percentage of A-level grades are A*?
9.6% of UK A-level grades were A* in 2026, up from 9.4% in 2025 (JCQ, all ages, provisional). That counts grades, not students. Only 2.2% of 18-year-olds taking three A levels in England got an A* in all three.
When will the 2027 figures be published?
Ofqual published the 2025 and 2026 editions on results day, so the 2027 figures are expected on 12 August 2027 (JCQ key dates). We will update this page then.
Related research
All research- A-level grade calculator Add your paper marks and your board's grade boundaries to estimate the marks you need for an A*.
- GCSE and A-level remark success rates Missed an A* by a few marks? How often A-level remarks change the grade.
- Exam board market share statistics Which boards award the most A levels, subject by subject.
- Exam Malpractice & AI Cheating Statistics 2026 (GCSE & A Level) Ofqual figures on GCSE, AS and A-level malpractice in England: 4,735 students penalised, 44.3% of cases involving phones, and AI in 75% of plagiarism cases. Every figure linked to its source.
- GCSE Resit Statistics 2026: English and Maths Pass Rates GCSE resit pass rates in England: 15.3% of maths and 19.8% of English language entries from students aged 17+ got grade 4 or above in summer 2026 (JCQ), with results by age, November and the rules.
- How Many People Get All 9s at GCSE? 2026 Statistics 1,375 students aged 16 in England got all 9s at GCSE in 2026 (1,300 in 2025), about 1 in 400 of those taking seven or more (Ofqual). By number of GCSEs and sex.
- Average ACT Score 2026: State, Percentile and Perfect 36 Statistics The average ACT score for the class of 2026 was 19.2, down from 19.4 in 2025 (ACT). Averages by state, percentiles, perfect 36s and section scores.
- GCSE revision habits survey Our planned survey of how GCSE students revise: the method, the questions and how results will be published.
Aiming for A*s? Turn your notes into exam-board-style questions and get an estimated mark on your short answers.Practise exam-style questions